1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wagering event, particularly wagering events on gaming tables or electronic wagering systems, and more particularly on wagering events using domino symbols in the form of physical or virtual tiles or cards.
2. Background of the Art
Domino games are very popular in various regions of the world. Domino games are particularly popular in the Caribbean and South and Central American countries.
Generally, domino games are played with a set of dominos. Each domino is a tile (generally a rectangular member) marked on one side with markings which represent value. Each domino has a pair or markings or two values. Generally, these marking comprise pips (usually circular dots).
The number of dominos used in a particular game may vary. For example, a set of dominos may comprise a collection of dominos marked with values 0-0 through 6-6. Each domino of the set is unique in that no other domino is marked with the same two values. The set of dominos comprises all combinations of potential values from the minimum to the maximum. Thus, in the set of dominos including the values 0-0 to 6-6, the set will include 28 dominos marked with the following values: 0-0, 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, 0-5, 0-6, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-6, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 5-5, 5-6 and 6-6. In other games, the set of dominos may include dominos marked with values up to 8-8 or even 12-12.
Beginning the Game by Setting the Heaviest Domino
In some domino games, the rules state that the first play must be made by the player with the highest double in his hand. Rules for other games state that the first play must be made by the player with the heaviest domino, double or single, as the case may be. Highest Double: After the tiles are shuffled, each player draws his hand from the stock. The player who draws the highest double of the set (i.e., double-9 if playing with a double-9 set), plays it as the lead. If the highest double was not drawn, the second highest double is played. If the second highest double was not drawn, the third highest double is played, and so on, until a double is played. If none of the players holds a double in his hand, all hands are discarded, reshuffled, and new hands are drawn. After the first player sets his double, the second play is made by the player to his left and play continues clockwise. Heaviest Tile: Follow the instructions above for “Highest Double” with this exception: Instead of drawing new hands if no player holds a double tile, the player holding the heaviest single begins play.
Winner of the Last Game: The winner of the last game played may open the next game. Or, if a game ends in a tie, the player who placed the last tile plays the first tile in the next game.
Drawing the Hand
Each player draws the number of tiles specified in the rules for the domino game being played and then places them in front of himself in such a way that the other players can't see the pips on his tiles.
After all hands have been drawn, there may be a surplus of tiles left in the stock. These tiles should remain face down, and, depending on the rules of the game being played, may be bought (See “Passing and Byeing” below.) later in that game.
Opening the Game
Determine who will make the first play, as explained above in “Order of Play” and according to the rules of the particular domino game being played. The player making the first play may be referred to as the setter, the downer, or the leader. He should place his tile face up in the middle of the table.
The words set, down, and lead are all used as verbs to refer to the act of making the first play of the game. “The set,” “the down,” and “the lead” are used as nouns to refer to the first domino played in a game and also the first play of the game. Here is a rule variation that players may agree to employ: Anytime a player plays a double, whether for the opening of the game or anytime thereafter during the game, he may immediately play a second tile onto his double before the next player makes his play.
Passing and Buying
Any player who does not hold a tile in his hand with the correct number of pips, and therefore cannot make the next play, must either pass or bye from the stock, according to the rules of the game. Some games permit players to skip a play if they so choose, even if they hold a playable tile.
Passing is also called knocking and renouncing. The player who is unable to make a play must announce to the other players, “I pass,” and then the next player takes his turn. If no one is able to make a play, the game ends.
In some games buying tiles from the stock is allowed. In this case, a player draws the number of tiles he is permitted to take according to the rules of that game, adding them to the tiles he is holding in his hand. Once the player has drawn a tile he is able to play, he plays that domino.
There are many domino games that have the rule that all tiles in the stock may be bought, and there are others which have the rule that some tiles must be left in the stock and cannot be bought. In the case of the latter, the number of pips on the tiles left in the stock at the end of the game would be added to the winner's score.
Line of Play
There are many domino games that depend upon matching suits. In these games, the first player sets his domino, then the player to his left adds his tile to one of the free ends, and so on, going clockwise around the table with each player adding a tile. Players add tiles that have the matching number of pips with an open end of an already played tile.
As each player matches and plays a tile, a line is formed. This configuration of dominoes is called the layout, string, or line of play. In order to prevent tiles from falling off the table when the line of play extends too far, dominoes may be played in any direction. Regardless of the pattern of the line of play, the open end of the last domino played remains the same.
Dominoes are joined to the line of play in two ways: 1) with the line of play, lengthwise, the dominoes played end to end; or, 2) across the line of play, crosswise, the dominoes played across the matching number. In most domino games, doubles, and only doubles, are played crosswise; singles are played lengthwise, and the next tile is added after each double played, if the double is not a spinner, must be lengthwise.
Spinners
A spinner is a double which can be played on all four sides. Depending on the rules of the game being played, the double played as the lead is the only spinner of the game; or, every double played throughout the game is a spinner. If the double played is not a spinner, it may be played on only two sides.
Scoring
In some domino games, part of the score is obtained from the total number of pips at the ends of the line of play as the game progresses. If only one domino has been played, both ends of that domino are ends of the line of play. Thus, if a 5-5 tile is played, the count would be 10.
If two dominoes have been played, the count depends on whether both tiles are with the line of play or one tile is with and the other tile is across the line of play. For example, if the 3-5 and 5-1 tiles are played, the count is 4 (3+1). The matching halves of each of the two dominoes would be joined, end to end, with the open ends being 3 and 1. If the 3-5 and 5-5 tiles are played, the count is 13 (3+5+5). The double tile, 5-5, would be played across the line of play, and both halves of the double would be considered ends of the line of play.
Given the last example, if a tile is now played on the 5-5, assuming it is not a spinner, the 5-5 is no longer an end for the purpose of counting. See the example below. The line of play is 3-5, 5-5, 5-1, and the count is 4 (3+1). If the 5-5 is not a spinner in this case, the 5-5 is not an end.
In some domino games, a score is made only when the count of the ends of the line of play are a multiple of 5 or a multiple of 3, for example.
Another scoring method used in many domino games is to take the losing players' total number of pips by counting the pips on the tiles left in their hands at the end of a hand or the game and then adding that number to the winner's score.
End of the Game
Some domino games end once a certain number of hands have been played or a player or team makes the necessary points to win. For many other domino games, the object of the game is to be the first player (or team) to dispose of all the dominoes in your hand. These domino games end when a player has played all the dominoes in his hand before the other players and announces, “Domino.” Sometimes none of the players are able to make another play. This is called a blocked game, and, in case the game is blocked and no one is able to make another play, the game would end.
Some efforts have been made in the literature to introduce wagering events based on dominos, but without significantly reports of commercial success.
Published US Patent Application Document No. 20040245723 (Davis) discloses a domino and dice game that includes a series of dominos having counts thereon which correspond to the possible counts generated by a pair of conventional cubical dice. The dominos are initially positioned face up, and the dice are tossed. Dominos having counts corresponding to the resulting count on the dice, are turned face down. Play continues by a single player until no more domino moves are possible, whereupon play transfers to the next player. Score is according to the number of dots displayed upon the remaining face up dominos after a turn is completed, with low score winning the round after all players have played. The present game also includes a playing box, with the box having at least one row of dominos pivotally secured thereacross and a dice tossing area. The playing box may include additional domino rows for doubles and blank dominos, if desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,263 (Hamilton) describes a game using two sets of dominos with twenty-eight dominos in each set. The sets are conventional, with the exception of markings indicating their additive or subtractive nature in play. The Hamilton game is played similarly to conventional domino play, but scoring may be accomplished by adding or subtracting dots of a domino at the end of a row, according to the additive or subtractive nature of the specific domino played. Hamilton does not disclose the use of dice to determine the manipulation of any of the dominos, nor does he provide a box or structure with dominos of varying denominations secured thereto, as is done with the present domino and dice game invention.
Published US Patent Application Document No. 20080230994 (Taranino) discloses a wager-based domino game suited for individual play, particularly as presented at a gaming machine. In accordance with the game, a player attempts to play one or more dominos. Various outcomes of game play are defined as losing. A number of outcomes are defined as winning and have associated awards, such as defined by a paytable. In one embodiment, winning outcomes may be awarded in the event a minimum number of dominos are played, or based upon a summed value of all dominos played. Domino-based bonus events offer a player additional winnings. The bonus events may be triggered by particular events of the wager-based domino game.
Published US Patent Application Document No. 20070278738 (Taranino) discloses a wager-based domino game is suited for individual play, particularly as presented at a gaming machine. In accordance with the game, a player attempts to play one or more dominos. Various outcomes of game play are defined as losing. A number of outcomes are defined as winning and have associated awards, such as defined by a paytable. In one embodiment, winning outcomes may be awarded in the event a minimum number of dominos are played, or based upon a summed value of all dominos played. Domino-based bonus events offer a player additional winnings. The bonus events may be triggered by particular events of the wager-based domino game.
The technology of the present invention may be executed on live table gaming formats with a dealer and physical tiles or special playing cards on a gaming table, on a completely electronic (on-line or video slot format) or on a blended system with physical cards or tiles and electronic wagering.